Lost
by ElectroGirlNoir
Summary: He missed him, so much. Possible character death  I know, I know, don't kill me, I've got so much to give!
1. Chapter 1

**Lost**

**A/N:**** That's right, another one. I snuck up on ya in the nighttimes!**

**Disclaimer:**** I may look like the lovechild of Rudy and Tony Harrison, but I do not own the Mighty Boosh.**

**Warnings: None**

"_**Howard"**_

This one wasn't a message or a mischievous jibe with no meaning other than to make him laugh. It was just his name, written in Vince Noir's usual playful and colourful writing, where the letters played across the paper like a rainbow.

Nonetheless, it still managed to make his heart lurch painfully and tears blur his eyes, only for him to blink them quickly away. He sat down heavily, and just like that everything he had worked so hard to build back up again- his strength, his emotions, his personality- came tumbling back down like a child's building blocks.

Vince had started leaving him notes to find long before he had disappeared. It had been a silly game they had started playing; Vince would write a funny little note, hide it somewhere and then Howard would find it and leave an appropriate message in response.

And for a long time after Vince was gone they seemed to turn up everywhere: in cabinets, down the sofa, in matchboxes, in his trumpet case, under the bed, in his shoes...

And each time he found one he would fall to pieces.

But then they had stopped. They just stopped one day when he had been finding them for so long he expected them to never end. He went through a whole day of not finding one and became desperate to the point that he had started purposely searching, raiding the flat from top to bottom, and when he had searched everywhere, twice, Naboo told him that maybe there just weren't anymore.

And he had cried then, burst into tears like a child who had just been told there weren't any sweets left, huddled on the floor, ashamed of himself. If there were no more notes it meant there was no more Vince, and reality slammed the door wide open and snapped the little glimmer of hope he had had into too many pieces to ever fit together again.

In the end, he had to get himself together, and without the notes it was a fraction easier.

But now he had just found another note, nestled in his jacket pocket, and he instantly forgot everything in the world but Vince.

'Howard? Wassa matta?' Naboo was standing somewhere behind him, he guessed, and he heard the pad of gorilla feet.

'I found a note,' he barely moved his mouth.

'What?'

'_A note_.'

'What's it say?' Naboo's voice was softer now, and tinged with an emotion.

'It just...' The Maverick fought hard to keep the tears at bay, 'It just says "Howard"'


	2. Chapter 2

**My Booshies, please read so you know what this chapter's on about:** **I'll be quick: This is about the day Vince went missing. Xx**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own the Boosh. Yeah, yeah, **_**Invisible, **_**I know, I'm typing, I'm typing, sheesh! ;P**

**Warnings: Language**

_They had originally been on their way to a gig. Vince had read the map upside down and followed the route of an unwound liquorice pinwheel, so lost was the weakest term for what they had become. _

_Outside was nothing but a dark wood, a vicious mass of dead trees, a jungle of thorns. An eerie mist swam through the lifeless branches and a supernatural stillness hung in the stagnant air. _

_In the van, they had argued, and the universe of the argument had swiftly expanded to become about everything but their current problem- forget being stranded in a creepy wood, the towels left on the bathroom floor were a much bigger issue. _

_Vince had ruffled the back of his hair subconsciously, 'I know what all this is about; it's cos you're scared rigid about 'aving to go out there to rummage around for a sign in the dark!' _

'_Oh yeah?' Howard had snarled, 'That what you think is it? Yeah?'_

'_Yeah, I do,' _

'_I'd go out there any time o' day sir, I'd go out there, witching hour, Friday the thirteenth!'_

'_Well it just so 'appenes that that's today, so out you go!' Vince had tossed his hair and reached across to roughly open the door on Howard's side._

'_Don't touch me!' _

'_I didn't touch you!' _

'_You touched my thigh sir!'_

'_I did not! Just get out!'_

'_... No, you know what; you got us lost so you get out!'_

_And then Vince had given a startled cry, because Howard had swiftly unfastened his seatbelt, opened the passenger door and pushed him. He fell out and grabbed a handful of thorns._

'_You bastard!' He had yelped, staring at Howard with genuine pain and shock._

'_Oh God, Vince, I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I wouldn't... I just-'_

'_It's alright, you'll see, I'm not a fucking idiot like you!' Vince had yelled, and then stormed off through the branches, attacking them as he went with all his strength, fuelled by anger._

_They hadn't even woken up in a good mood. It wasn't like they had just had one of their silly little spats like they usually did in the van, it had been going on for weeks on end, and they didn't know why they had gotten so sick of each other. Sick of each other or just too close they weren't sure, but what they were sure of was the fact that every little thing the other one did drove them mad and kick-started another argument. Whenever they had argued before, they had never actually come to blows or laid a finger on oneanother, but lately they had seemingly broken that rule, pinching and pulling hair and slamming the other against the wall. _

_And now Howard had just done the unthinkable, and he knew it. He had pushed his friend out into… well… into __**that **__out the window, that mess of thorns and spite. _

_**Xxx**_

_Naboo took another long drag from the hookah and sighed. He couldn't remember the last time he had been able to just chill out without Vince storming around and Howard lumbering about, doors slamming, objects flying, Howard's accent thick with rage, Vince's voice rising until it was almost as high as Sunflash's. He didn't know what was wrong with them lately; it was driving him up the wall. The entire Shaman Lodge had each put twenty euro on sexual tension. _

_The shaman drained the last of his tea and then frowned as the tealeaves began to shift, 'Oh no…'_

_**Oh yes.**_

'_What's goin' on then, how can they mess up goin' to Brighton?'_

_**Brighton? What is Brighton?**_

'_Can you tell me where they are?' Naboo demanded of the leaves._

_**No**_

'_What? Why not, I've been told before?'_

_**That was PG Tips; we are just Tesco's own brand.**_

_Naboo gave an angry tut and chucked the cup down on the side; 'Bollo!'_

'_What Vince and Howard do?'_

'_Dunno, just get the carpet ready, yeah?' Naboo headed off to consult his crystal ball, the one he'd got half-price at Shamansbury's._


End file.
